Emotion dysregulation, negative affect, and aggression: A moderated, multiple mediator analysis

Abstract

Research on violence has highlighted the role of trait negative affect in reactive aggressive behavior. Emotion dysregulation is a multidimensional construct reflecting maladaptive ways in which a person experiences and responds to emotional states, and has also been empirically linked to aggression. This study sought to test the hypothesis that multiple facets of emotion dysregulation would mediate the relationship between negative affect and physical aggression in a nonclinical sample. An additional aim was to examine the moderating effect of sex in the relationship between negative affect and aggression, and whether mediators differ as a function of sex. Three-hundred and eighteen participants completed measures of physical aggression, difficulties in emotion regulation, and negative affect. Results showed that sex moderated the relationship between negative affect and physical aggression, and emotion dysregulation fully mediated the relationship between these variables in both males and females. While difficulty inhibiting impulsive behavior when distressed was a significant mediator across sexes, difficulties with emotional awareness demonstrated a mediation effect only in males. Findings provide preliminary support for the facets of emotion dysregulation that are important in understanding the negative affect -physical aggression association in males and females.

The role of emotion dysregulation in suicide as considered through the ideation to action framework

“…Support for a role for emotion dysregulation in the acquired capability has, to some extent, been driven by prior research demonstrating robust associations between emotion dysregulation and such behaviors. Indeed, converging evidence has suggested that individuals who struggle with tolerating and regulating intense and labile emotions gain the capability for suicide by instigating self-destructive emotion regulation behaviors [17] such as NSSI [24,25], aggressive behavior [26], and intravenous drug use [27].…”

Affect, emotion dysregulation, and sleep quality among low-income women

“…Calkins (1994) detailed a theoretical framework in which behavioral traits influence emotion regulation and argued that positive or negative affect act as sources of individual variation in emotion regulation (23). More recently, empirical investigations have investigated emotion regulation as a mediator between negative affect and aggression (24). Kim-Spoon, Cicchetti, and Rogosch (2013) found the effects of emotion negativity on internalizing symptoms were completely mediated through emotion regulation (25).…”

The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation in Relationship Between Criticism and Cigarette Smoking Among Male Adolescents

“…Moreover, McLaughlin et al (44) believed that individuals inevitably resort to undesirable behaviors to make themselves relieved when they cannot make use of problem-oriented and adaptive strategies to deal with their obsessive tendencies. Such behaviors can include smoking and substance abuse (15,45,46), inclination to suicidal thoughts (47), as well as aggressive behaviors (48). analysis of some influential psycho determinants on cravings towards smoking in adolescents.…”